When USC officially lifted daytime ID scanning at campus entrances this August, students were among the first to feel the impact of the new policy. For many, the change signals a return to easier campus access and a shift toward rebuilding ties with the surrounding community, but for others, that’s not the case.
For freshmen, the new rules have made daily life on campus more convenient.
“I would visit USC junior and senior year [of high school] almost on a daily basis. It was kind of annoying having to scan all the time,” freshman Arleen Moran said. “But now, being a student here, and there’s no more ID scanning, I really don’t mind it.”
With IDs no longer required during the day, underclassmen said navigating campus feels more seamless, even during busy mornings.
“People are already rushing to get to where they have to be,” first-year Monse Rodriguez said. “If we had to scan in every time, it would kind of make it a hassle.”
Some upperclassmen see the gate policies as having been an unnecessary strain on both campus life and USC’s budget.
“I think they extended it for longer than it was necessary, and used a lot of our school’s budget on the Yellow Jackets,” senior Katie Havens said. “It’s obvious that we’re struggling with that, and I think a large part has to do with the budget they allocated to closing the gates and heavily monitoring the campus.”
USC contracts “security ambassadors,” commonly known as Yellow Jackets, to patrol streets and corners in nearby neighborhoods. The Yellow Jackets are stationed at campus entrances, near public areas and USC-owned housing, wearing bright jackets to make them easy to spot.
“I think it’s better just because it’s open to the public now. You don’t need to show an ID anymore, so anyone is welcome,” Brian Torres, a Yellow Jacket, said.
Torres, who has served as a Yellow Jacket for over a year, said that with the new open gate policy, they are trained to watch for large gatherings, protests or anyone with big speaker equipment.
However, some students remain unsure why security is still stationed at the entrances.
“I don’t know why they’re still out front. Like, what’s their job? What are they doing?” Havens said. “It’s good that they’re still providing jobs to those people who were Yellow Jackets beforehand, but it’s just a little confusing.”
For Havens, the stricter ID requirements last year didn’t necessarily translate into a stronger sense of security.
“It feels the same, and I didn’t really feel more secure last year with them there,” he said.
For others, the open gate policy has sparked concern about how the policy shapes everyday student life, such as transportation and theft.
“This is my first year having a bike on campus, and I know people who’ve had theirs stolen in the past,” senior Kaitlyn Chaidez said. “I used to have a car parked here, and it got broken into. But in the couple of weeks I’ve had my bike here, I haven’t really felt frightened.”
Having experienced both the open and closed gate policies, Chaidez said she feels equally safe. However, she noted that when the gates were closed, it was frustrating with the restricted access.
“It’s always been a hassle to get people on campus with the gates closed,” he said. “I’m just grateful the campus is accessible again.”
Students expressed their preference for the closed gate policy over concern about bike theft. With campus gates no longer restricting access, students are feeling less secure about their bikes.
“Now that anybody can be on campus, it’s really easy to cut a cord lock in like 10 seconds and bike away with it,” said junior Matthew Hall.
Some students have even adapted their security measures in response to the new gate policy and increased theft concerns.
“I have a bike loop and a U lock,” said Jacob Peterson, a graduate student at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. “The point is to make it as hard as possible for people to steal.”
Department of Public Safety officials suggested that students should remain aware of their surroundings under the open gate policy.
While some students have expressed concerns about campus safety without stricter ID checks, others feel reassured by the university’s existing security measures.
“I’m not really worried for my safety, because there’s always security guards on campus,” Moran said. “After a certain time, IDs are required, so it doesn’t really affect me that badly.”
The university announced earlier this month that USC IDs are no longer required for campus entry between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., though nighttime checks will remain in place. Entry to campus remains restricted to 11 designated gates, each staffed by security personnel. The decision follows more than a year of restricted access after pro-Palestinian protests in April 2024 prompted heightened security measures.
Security infrastructure, such as fencing and barriers, remains intact and can be reactivated quickly if needed, according to interim President Beong-Soo Kim.